Describing
and Summarizing Technical Information
You will often
be asked to describe or summarize experiments, how things
work, or what a project entails. Before you begin to write,
however, you must determine your purpose. You can describe
how something looks or how something works, or you
can summarize what has been done or what will
be done.
1. Recognize
that descriptions and summaries are persuasive devices.
Use words to paint a mental picture for the reader.
2. Know your
audience. If you determine their level of expertise, you
can decide what you need to include in your writing.
3. Make a list
of key points. Readers want information to be concise
yet complete.
4. Decide on
an appropriate length. Be as concise as possible without
leaving out key information.
5. Organize
descriptions of objects, mechanisms, and processes in
deductive order. State what is being described and give
the reason for your description. Give a brief overview,
then describe in detail or in careful, logical order.
It helps to have an image or diagram close to the description
so readers can both "see" and "hear"
the description.
6. Organize
summaries deductively, too. Begin the summary with a statement
of purpose so the reader can understand the importance
of the information. Put conclusions and recommendations
first (if the audience will welcome them), follow the
main purpose with details in logical order, then group
related information into categories with subheadings that
relate to the main point.
7. In designing
your document, use one of three techniques:
a. Visuals.
A visual aid can make a prose description more concise
and clear. A condensed summary table or figure can help
the reader make sense of complex information.
b. Chunking.
Use numbers, headings, and bullets to differentiate parts,
steps, and other divisions of information.
c. Differentiate
content. Set off a summary or description in a different
type font or indent the material so it is visually different
from the rest of the document.
a. Too much
information. Pare your prose to its essentials since an
overload of detail makes information hard to comprehend.
b. The list
syndrome: Introduce all facts with a clear context-setting
statement so the facts can be understood as a cohesive
whole, not just a jumble of facts.
c. Inconsistent
terminology. Use consistent terminology in all parts of
the text to avoid confusion or ambiguity.
